What are the most common mistakes when listing your education on your resume?

for anybody who brings more than four years of experience, the education section should be the very last portion of your resume. I see individuals who placed their education right under their value proposition summary and before their experience and that's a very big mistake even if you've gone to a big-name school. Anybody with significant experience is going to get hired because of what they've done on the job and most degrees don't hold much weight once you've already been in the marketplace for seven or more years. They want to hire you because of what you've done at previous jobs that they feel has value to the position they're trying to fill. I say I now

If you are a recent grad, list it at the top. And, if you have "light" actual work experience, you can weave projects completed as part of an "experience" narrative. If you it not recent, at the end of your resume. But, it is totally unnecessary to list your GPA or your faternity!

The biggest mistake I see is putting your education first on your resume. Unless you a recent college grad. It goes after all of your work history. Your education is important but not the most important selling point on your resume.

Listing it at the top when it's not as relevant as accomplishments or experience to that particular employer or hiring manager. List in order of relevance to the person reading.

Consistency between your resume and LinkedIn profile Many people forget to update the profile section of their LinkedIn profile when they graduate or change jobs. It's good practice to review your LinkedIn profile regularly and make sure that it aligns with your resume.

The biggest use of "irrelevant information" I see is listing a training class or participation certificate for something you use every day; your experience should be clearly indicated in your professional history. Including training you don't use is superfluous, and experience always trumps training. *Industry certifications, ie PMP, CPA, SPHR etc. that test your existing industry knowledge don't fall under this classification. Remember that your resume should be a snapshot of your current, up to date knowledge and experience - not a recap of something you haven't used in a decade.

Regarding irrelevant information, it’s important to include only education that is directly related to the job you’re applying for. If you have extensive education history, prioritize the most relevant degrees and omit unrelated ones. Additionally, avoid listing extracurricular activities or coursework that don’t add value to the specific job application.

Including irrelevant degrees: If you have multiple degrees and some are not relevant to the position you're applying for, consider whether they add value to your application. If not, you might choose to omit them or provide brief details.

It's important to understand the job you are applying for, and understand how your experience contributes to the position. For example, if you have little experience in the job you are applying for, but your education is directly related to your experience, a high GPA can sometimes be used to highlight that you understand the scope and subject. However, I'd only list GPA if it showcases significant accomplishments. In some cases, it might be better to include what level of achievement you graduated with, such as the Dean's or President's honor roll.

Regarding irrelevant information, it’s important to include only education that is directly related to the job you’re applying for. If you have extensive education history, prioritize the most relevant degrees and omit unrelated ones. Additionally, avoid listing extracurricular activities or coursework that don’t add value to the specific job application.

This is the biggest. Lying about your education is 100% bad. Most mid-large size companies pay for background checks, and education verification is part of that paid package. I have rescinded multiple written offers due to falsified educational credentials.

One common mistake is the placement of education information on your resume. If there are education requirements for the position, these details MUST be highlighted immediately after your personal heading. Don’t make employers search for important information that will determine whether you are a qualified candidate for the job or not.

Do. Not. Lie. About. Your. Degree. Some real life examples I've had: -Claiming an Ivy League MBA when they had a different degree that they felt was "equivalent." It isn't. -Claiming a degree as complete when it's barely begun because you're "gonna finish it, so why does it matter?" -Claiming a degree from a different university in the same system (e.g. UC Berkeley vs. UC Davis) because it's more "prestigious". "Pretentious" is a better description. Once again for those in the back: Don't. Lie. On. Your. Resume.

Try to stay away from adding your GPA, especially if it is not 100% accurate. This can lead you to coming across as someone that is lying or someone that is using a GPA to be chosen instead of others - but at the end of the day, GPA is becoming less of a thing people look at on resumes compared to the past, when GPA was more of a conversation, especially for those that have 5-10+ years experience, GPA is not typically part of the interview conversation anymore.

Getting the basics of your education right is non-negotiable! Avoid errors in listing your degree titles, as this demonstrates a lack of attention to detail or raises questions about honesty. Refer to your official transcripts or diploma to ensure you use the exact designation, whether it's a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or an advanced degree like a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Incorrect information creates a negative impression and undermines your credibility, no matter how strong your other qualifications may be.

- Not using the reverse chronological order. - Incorrect educational institution name or the accurate degree title. Or using the abbreviation instead of the full name.

Your attention to detail matters. Not just on your resume, but on LinkedIn. Make sure the two are aligned and consistent, without conflicting details.

While using spell checkers and grammar checkers are great, they too can be flawed. It's always best to have at least two people you trust that are not afraid to be both honest with you or question your work. After staring at a resume for hours, it's easy to miss small things, both grammatical mistakes as well as formatting errors.

Even if you believe you are very good in spotting typos or other errors. If you have red your resume many times, you will become "blind" to those errors. So best to have someone else review your documents.

Bar far the biggest mistake I see people making in this area is putting the incorrect degree type. It can be tricky to remember if you got a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts. Be sure to double check that.

Regarding irrelevant information, it’s important to include only education that is directly related to the job you’re applying for. If you have extensive education history, prioritize the most relevant degrees and omit unrelated ones. Additionally, avoid listing extracurricular activities or coursework that don’t add value to the specific job application.

Please ensure that your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date, and that the information on your resume agrees with what is on your LinkedIn profile. Otherwise, you will be passed over.

Oftentimes people will include only parts of their education or degree info. If you graduated from college, you need the degree type, major, minor, name of the school, and location. There is a lot of debate on whether or not you should include your date. The reality is that having a graduate date in your education section can lead to agism, both seeming too young and inexperienced or too old and out of touch. I think choosing whether or not to intentionally leave the date off is not misleading.

Best to keep your resume and LinkedIn profile always up to date. By doing that you are ready whenever you are contacted by a recruiter or a potential hiring manager and asked to send over your resume.

Un currículum siempre es impreciso. Porque está escrito con limitaciones. A veces habrán aptitudes que no estarán allí pero se aplican. La existencia está más encaminada sobre la irracionalidad que por la racionalización.

Stop putting your GPA and years attended. 4.0 GPA: That's great for you. Doesn't sway my decision. Low GPA: I'm proud of you for sticking it out and finishing. Doesn't sway my decision. Years attended can lead to bias/discrimination. Just get rid of it.

For those who've studied abroad, one thing to consider when listing education on resumes is to avoid literal translations of credentials if they're unclear to the global audience. For instance, you might've earned what translates into English as "English Pedagogical Formation Certificate", but listing it in something more universally recognizable and clear, such as "Certificate in English Language Teaching" can have a positive impact.

Here are a few dos and don't of listing education: DO put what field your degree was in, and what kind of degree it was (BA, MS, etc.) DO list the university it was from DON'T list whether it was an online or in-person degree (doesn't matter!) DON'T list your GPA unless you are a recent grad (in the last few years) DON'T list the year you got the degree (mostly if you are worried about age discrimination) DON'T list your education at the top of the resume unless you are a recent grad with little experience, or you are changing to a new field and the degree is part of that transition

Not all companies use ATS or AI software to screen your resume. Most mid size to small companies don't use these tools. So make sure that your resume is strong to appeal to human and computer audiences.